Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, pushed back Wednesday against the accusation that the U.S. military has gone "woke."
He then seemed to suggest that "white rage" was linked to the Capitol riot; defended race-obsessed writers on the military reading list by comparing them to Marx and Mao (which military leaders also read, more as a way of understanding the enemy, though, not ourselves); and misstated the 3/5 compromise in the Constitution (it was not "three-fourths," and it was not about the humanity of black people, but counting population to give the slave states less power).
Recall that Milley was the leader who apologized for the -- perfectly appropriate -- walk with President Donald Trump through Lafayette Square last June 1, which demonstrated that the democratically-elected government, and not the mob fueled by the media and the Democratic Party, was in control.
Here, by the way, is the controversial Navy reading list. Under "foundational," it includes a wide variety of left-wing agitprop. The only conservative on the list is David Brooks, an anti-Trump center-right writer.
https://www.navy.mil/CNO-Professional-Reading-Program/
In my (very anecdoctal) experience, the officer corps is more woke than the enlisted ranks, who have to deal with reality and don't have time for racism or for so-called "antiracism." They also aren't burdened with a college education.
This is the portion that all journalists should love: the Torah tells the story of the 12 spies, only two of whom tell the truth when the other ten shade it in a negative away (perhaps to suit a political agenda that is opposed to Moses).
It's not that the ten "lying" spies misconstrue the facts about the Land of Israel; rather, they interject their opinions that the land is impossible to conquer, which strikes unnecessary terror into the hearts of the people.
We have many examples of such fake news today -- from the Iranian propaganda outlets spreading false claims that they are winning the war, to California politicians spreading false horror stories about ICE raids in L.A.
The people realize, too late, that they have been fooled, and once they are condemned to die in the desert, they try to rush into Israel -- only to be defeated by the inhabitants, as the spies predicted that they would be.
But as consolation, God gives the people new commandments -- focused on things they must ...
This week's portion discusses the procedure for lighting the menorah, the holy seven-branched lamp, in the Tabernacle (and later the Temple). It also describes an episode where the people crave meat, and God punishes them by giving it to them in excess. We also read the story of Miriam, Moses's sister, who is punished with the spiritual skin blemish of tzara'at for speaking about her brother, thus violating the prohibition against lashon hara (evil tongue).
I heard a fantastic sermon this week about the lighting of the menorah: that while only the priests were qualified to clean and purify the menorah, anyone could light it. A reminder that each of us can inspire others along the way.
This week we study the vow of the Nazirite; a reminder that sometimes trying to be too holy is excessive, and the best we can do is to be the best that we are.
https://www.chabad.org/parshah/torahreading_cdo/aid/2495720/p/complete/jewish/Naso-Torah-Reading.htm
